Budgie obsessed with Mirror

[Moonring05]

I have had my budgie for a little more then a week. (And I have finally named him Azul, the Spanish word for the color blue.) Anyway, I bought him a ladder that has a mirror at the top. He developed a weird relationship with the mirror over a couple of days; every time I opened the cage or tried to interact with Azul he would go to the mirror.

I finally pulled the mirror out of his cage last night. He had been sitting on the ladder staring at his reflection for about three hours. I didn't want it to get worse.

At first he was allowing me to pet on him, and I had even taught him how to step up with a perch. And he had learned to get on my finger too. But after putting the mirror in his cage, he won't let me touch him and he won't get on my finger.

I feel bad for the little guy because he loved the mirror, but I am afraid to put it back in his cage. Has anyone had a similar experience? Will he be able to have his mirror back, but not become so attached to it?

I guess I have to start trying to train him again.

[aka.pody]

They think there's another bird in the mirror. A lot of people don't like to put a mirror in the cage just for that reason. They'll want to get up close and personal with the "other bird" and not you. You'll probably be able to train Azul a lot better without it.
I know how you feel by taking it out. Like taking away his friend. Don't worry, I think he'll get over it. Just gotta spend more time with him. He'll forget about that mirror in no time and he'll to happier to spend time with you than the birdie behind the mirror. :)

[FrankenCub]

I think he see's a friend when looking in the mirror. Mine talk to their mirrors all the time but don't see obsessed with it. My tiel sticks his head in one of his bells and squawks like crazy. I thought it was kinda funny, now I call him Crazy Bird.
I don't know if these are bad habits or just entertainment. He might be feeling secure with the mirror.....maybe time for another friend for him ?

[softie]

Mirrors, especially at a time where the budgie is new, can interfere with training and bonding, and it can also cause potential behavior and emotional problems as well.

Most budgies will bond with his reflection so much that they will try to regurgitate to it. When they realize that the other budgie is not accepting his food, they tend to get upset and become very distorted.

I would definitely take the mirror away as soon as possible, as he's already showing signs that he's becoming emotionally attached.

If you are afraid that he'll become lonesome, another budgie is a much better option :)

[lovesbudgies]

I had the same problem with Aruba so I took the swing with the mirror out. She was not really affected when I took out the swing. She still chirps all day. I did get another swing without a mirror and she loves that swing. maybe try getting another ladder without a mirror on it.

[carol444]

i dont let my bird have a mirror because they do think its another bird making it hard for you to get their attention. if you want to train the keet to talk and bond withyou i would get rid of the mirror just for now. its alright to add it again at a later time when you guys are close buddies.

[absolutangel]

I personally haven't had any problems with mirrors, but as others have suggested I have only tended to introduce them once I have done a bit of bonding and training. I can certainly understand why it might confuse a budgie though. If he's being possessive over it already removing it seems a good idea.

[acudogmama]

When i found my first budgie Puppy I felt bad that he might be lonely when I was at work- so i would leave a mirror in his cage when I wasn't home, and took it out when i was there to interact with him.

Eventually I took the mirror out completely because i felt like it was coming between us when it came to bonding, even though there weren't any obvious problems with letting him have the mirror at times.

I will say that the bonding is coming along much easier without the mirror.

Just be sure that you spend as much quality time with your budgie as you can, and also provide enough toys and stimulation for him/her when you are not there so that they are not bored.

I still let Puppy have a little "mirror time", but now it only happens when we are finger training.... he gets to play in front of a mirror as he is sitting on my finger.

I also let him have toys that are shiney and somewhat reflective- he will interact with his reflection, but because they are not stationary... and also not as clear as a mirror he doesn't just sit in one position with his face millimeters aways from "the handsome budgie in the mirror"~! *^_^*

Good luck~!

[atvchick95]

I don't allow mirrors in my birds cages (if there's only one bird) after reading tons of horror stories of the bird becoming aggressive not only to the owner but to the "bird" in the mirror and some got severely hurt by attacking the "buddy" in the mirror when it did not reply back to the chirps, kissing, preening, and even talking(for the birds who talk)

I'll hang them out on a play gym or one of my community cages where there are many birds at a time - But they don't normally play with the mirror or pay attention to it they play with the bell hanging off of it , or the one i had turned all the way in a circle and they'd sit there and put it in their beak and spin it over and over

and I think those Plastic Birds are the same as mirrors - a accident waiting to happen

[enicol6]

I absolutly had a reflection(he would find himself everywhere particularly his silver food dish) obsessed bird. It is better to take it out now. It interfered with his bonding with his real bird friend and because it was a cup he bonded for a long time before I took it out. When I finally took it out (Lila thought is was a nest and Tommy thought it was the love of his life-major fights) he went through a depression like he lost a mate. It took him a few weeks to recover and he finally bonded with Lila. Albeit maybe to much...three babies later!

I don't think most do this and I certainly do not reccomend letting it go to far. I am showing you worse case scenario. It is best to give them tons of your love and affection or if that is not possible a real friend. Ditch the mirror. He will be much better off. :)

[AngelWings]

The same thing happened to me and Kara :(
i got her as a handtame budgie and now she isn't anymore :( she used to let me pick her up and pet her but now she's bonded with her mirror and i feel bad taking it out.. i guess i'll have to take hers out too...

[softie]

I suggest only removing the mirror when the budgie is new to his home, or if they start getting emotionally attached.

I gave my budgies a mirror after bonding and knowing that we trust each other, and the mirrors never gave them a problem. Actually, Grace was the only budgie that liked his reflection. I guess he knew just how handsome he was ;)

[DarkRaine]

I never had problems with mirrors, but its quite normal for budgies to get obsessed with them. Like softie said, after your bird has fully bonded with you, and is tame, try putting the mirror back in. If it persists after that, just don't give your bird mirrors again.

[Moonring05]

Since taking out the mirror he's been letting me pet on him again, hand feed him, and he's been getting on my finger. I guess I won't give him a mirror again. :p

Some of you suggested that I get him a friend, and I am going to in the future. That's been in the back of my mind since I got him. I just got him though, and I have never had a bird before, so I want to only have one budgie for a while. If get another one right now he'll probably react the same way he did to the mirror and ignore me. I want a nice happy budgie that loves me.

[enicol6]

It is not necessary to get him a friend unless you do not have enough time to interact with him. If you guys have a good thing going there are no worries. If he spends most of his time alone you can consider a friend in the future and you tame that one during quar. time. :)